


Nomadic Nightmares

by 263Adder



Series: The Master's Maniacal Misadventures [4]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Can You Hear Me?, F/M, Fluff, Nightmares, Reader-Insert, Reference to Episode 12x07
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 10:07:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23969596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/263Adder/pseuds/263Adder
Summary: Any psychologist worth their salt would tell you it was a classic anxiety dream, fuelled by fear of rejection and abandonment. Clean, simple and easy to deconstruct. It was playing like a well-worn film. You barely needed to watch as you chased after him, your feet doing all the work of carrying you there.
Relationships: The Master (Dhawan)/Reader, The Master (Doctor Who)/Reader
Series: The Master's Maniacal Misadventures [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1728085
Comments: 18
Kudos: 75





	Nomadic Nightmares

Your dream was progressing fairly normally. The Master was there; he usually was. You were running after him and, as was customary with this dream, you were falling behind and he hadn’t noticed. Any minute you’d hear the TARDIS taking off and for a brief second you would feel terrible, all-encompassing panic before waking up in your bed, safe aboard the TARDIS with the Master only a few rooms away. Any psychologist worth their salt would tell you it was a classic anxiety dream, fuelled by fear of rejection and abandonment. Clean, simple and easy to deconstruct. It was playing like a well-worn film. You barely needed to watch as you chased after him, your feet doing all the work of carrying you there.

You turned the corner of the corridor and – with a jolt of surprise – you realised he was still there. The dreamlike quality of the image before you suddenly sharpened, the colours glowing with startling vivacity; the Master looked so real, you were sure if you reached out you could touch him.

A creature you’d never seen before was standing in front of him, towering towards the ceiling. Its grey skin seemed slick, large tendrils of flesh hanging from its head and down its back like a mane of hair. Lifting its arms, large talons were flexed, the sharp sound of them unfurling reverberating around your mind. They extended towards him. The Master made no movements and, with his back turned to you, you couldn’t tell what he was doing. He had to be planning something, some plan already formulated, just waiting for the right moment to enact it.

All of a sudden the creature’s arm slashed out, the talon embedding itself in the Master’s body, ripping deeply from neck to abdomen. A splatter of blood sprayed along the wall with a horrifically bright ruby redness, and with a cry, you started towards him as he silently fell. As you dashed forward – determined to catch him, hold him in your arms and fix the damage that had been wrought – you instead came too, sitting upright in bed, sweat gathering at the nape of your neck, gasping for air as your heart tried to race its way out of your chest and toward his fallen figure.

Pressing a hand to your sternum, you tried to calm yourself. While it wasn’t your typical anxiety dream, it was still just that, a _dream_. The Master was just down the hall; he wasn’t dead, neither of you was in danger. You were fine, a few deep breaths and the fear would leave your system and you could go back to sleep.

Something moved out the corner of your eye.

Whipping your head around, your movements quickened by the adrenaline still pumping through your veins, you found yourself staring up at a bald-headed man, tattoos inked starkly against his ashen skin. Stunned by his presence inside the apparently impenetrable TARDIS, you were silent for a split second before opening your mouth and screaming at the top of your lungs, “Master!”

The man smiled at you, raising a hand as if to wave. To your horror, his fingers split away from his palm, floating free of his body and started towards you.

You screamed again, “Master! Help!”

Scrambling back, struggling to free your feet from the twisted covers, you bounced up from the bed and pressed yourself against the furthest wall from the man. Everything was so surreal you could almost convince yourself you were still dreaming, except for the dull pain that bloomed when your back hastily connected to the wall.

In the time it had taken you to leap from your bed and run to the other side of the room, the man was no longer in sight, only making your heart pound even harder against your ribs. Looking around you frantically, you looked for any sign of him, wondering where he was lurking and what his intentions were.

Light suddenly flooded the room as your bedroom door flew open and the Master was standing there, framed in the glow of the TARDIS corridor.

“What’s with all the yelling?” He said, eyeing you curiously before glancing around the room. “Wet dream?”

His tone was teasing but his expression was serious as he inspected the scene before him.

“S-someone’s here.” You told him, casting another nervous hunt for the man with your eyes before daring to cross over to the Master’s side. You felt infinitely better when you got there.

“What are you talking about?” The Master said, flipping on your bedroom light. Your eyes flinched shut at the abrupt brightness and, when you opened them, you saw you really were alone.

“I-I swear I’m telling the truth.” You stuttered, waiting in the doorway as he stalked into the room. The sweat which had beaded at the back of your neck made you shiver and you wished you’d gone to bed in more than a tank top and shorts. “I woke up, and a man was standing just there.”

The Master followed the direction of your pointed finger towards the spot the man had inhibited.

“No one can get inside the TARDIS, pet.” He disagreed.

“I’m _not_ making this up.” You snapped back, feeling wound up and frightened. You needed him to believe you.

With a sigh, the Master produced his TCE and used it to take a scan of the room. He frowned at its results.

“Ha!” You exclaimed, crossing over to join him. You glanced at the screen even though there was no chance of you understanding its findings. “It shows someone was there, doesn’t it! Right, what was it? Is it still on the TARDIS? Ugh, it did the _creepiest_ thing with its fingers…”

“There is some residual energy. Suggests that – wait, what did you say he did to you with his fingers?” The Master suddenly looked at you, eyebrow raised, almost accusatory.

“He lifted his hand and his fingers came off.” You told him, raising a hand to massage your temples. “It was so messed up.”

“Then what?”

“They started floating towards me. So I jumped out of bed and then he just – poof – vanished. Fingers and all. At least I hope he took them with him.” You shuddered, looking around the room yet again.

Pulling the hand from your face, the Master used it to tug you towards the console room. When you reached the central column, he released his hold on you. You trembled as the Master rushing towards the controls. The room was much cooler than your bedroom. The TARDIS had learned a few weeks after your arrival that you were comfortable at a warmer temperature than the Master needed and usually adapted it for you. You hadn’t even noticed until he started grumbling about his own TARDIS, putting your priorities above his. You weren’t usually up at this time however and it was colder than you were used to. It took a few minutes of shaking for the Master to notice and, with a huff, he threw his jacket your way.

Not wanting to distract him, you slipped it on and took a seat on the couch, waiting for him to tell you what was happening. Burying your nose in his jacket, you took comfort in the familiar smell of him and finally let yourself begin to unwind. There was no way that man would try to attack you again here, not in the warm orange glow of the central room with the Master only a few feet away.

You’d been sat for a few minutes when the engine began to rise.

“There.”

Raising your head slightly so he wouldn’t see you nuzzling his coat, you looked his way. “What?”

“I’ve isolated the energy associated with whatever teleportation device it used to get aboard and added a countermeasure to the TARDIS’ shields. And, to be safe, I’ve moved us to a different galaxy. No one is getting back on board tonight,” he said, before waving towards the corridor, “go back to bed, pet.”

You looked at him incredulously. “I can’t go back to bed now.”

“Why? I just told you, it’s not getting back in.”

“Are you serious?” You said. Sometimes it was very difficult living with someone who could be so obtuse about human emotions. If you were with anyone else you were certain you wouldn’t have to explain the reluctance to return to your bedroom.

“Yes.” He intoned, rolling up his sleeves to work on the TARDIS for a little while.

“No.”

“No? Are you not tired?” He asked, quirking a brow at you.

“Of course I’m tired!” You groaned. “I’m exhausted.”

They’d visited a planet earlier that day, inhabited by a fast-growing civilisation which mined a precious metal the Master was interested in acquiring. Inevitably you’d both ended up running for your lives when the Master decided it would be funny to cut off the King’s head. Suffice to say, his subjects had _not_ found the situation as amusing and swords were quickly sharpened, pitchforks found and torches lit. Coupled with all the adrenaline you’d burned through when that man appeared in your room, it was a testament to your fear that you were still awake.

“Then why don’t you go back to bed.”

“Because I’m scared.”

“I told you, he’s gone.”

“He got in once, he might get in again.”

“Are you questioning me?” The Master said disbelievingly. Storming over, he looked down at you – a storm quickly rising along his features. “I’ve told you he can’t get in.”

“I know that. And I know if you say that it’s true, it’s true, but I’m still scared!” You said, your voice coming out shriller than he’d ever heard from you.

“Why?”

Throwing your arms up in the air, you used the only defence he ever allowed you to hide behind. “I’m human.”

His anger died, and it left you with an unimpressed Master still staring at you.

“I can think rationally and go to bed with the knowledge it can’t get back in. But as soon as I turn off the lights and get in bed, I’m going to think there’s someone else in the room and I’ll be awake all night worrying about it. So, no. I’d rather stay here.” You said, folding your arms tightly across your chest and trying to look stern. You were drowning in the fabric of the Master’s jacket though and were certain you looked only like a petulant child.

He stood still for a moment, turning your words over in his mind before he made a decisive move.

“All right, then. Come along.” Snapping his fingers, he headed down the corridor with every expectation you would be at his heels. His confidence misled him, and it took him longer than he cared to admit to notice you weren’t following.

Stalking back to the console room, he sighed when he saw you exactly where he’d left you, biting your lower lip but still standing resolutely firm.

Losing patience, he marched over and – with no warning – grabbed you by the knees and slung you over his shoulder.

“Woah, what the hell are you doing?” You exclaimed, your hair completely clouding your vision as you were unceremoniously carried through the TARDIS.

Not deigning to give you an answer, he marched along until you were deep inside the labyrinth of corridors. Finally, a door was slammed open and the next thing you knew, you were being flipped down onto a bed.

Scrambling upright, you frantically looked around the room – expecting to back in your own. Instead, you were met with dark panelled walls, circular symbols similar to those in the console room lightly embossed upon the wood. High ceilings, a towering bookshelf, a desk covered in papers and, where you sat, a bed larger than any you had ever seen. There were tall windows which looked out over replicated images, admitting a warm, hazy light into the bedroom. The sheets were pale gold, cool like linen. The bed frame was dark, a similar wood to the panelling on the walls, with posters which spired towards the ceiling. From them hung some gauzy fabric, in a similar shade to the bed. It was lovely.

“Where…”

Hushing you, the Master laid a hand on your shoulder and shoved you onto your back. The bed which greeted you was extremely comfortable and part of you longed to curl into it and surrender to the exhaustion tugging at you. All the questions racing through your mind superseded that fatigue, however.

“See.” He said, stepping back, arms open as he gestured to their surroundings, looking incredibly proud of himself. “Not your room. No men leering in the corner waiting to haunt you. You can sleep in here. Only for tonight, though,” he insisted, “I don’t need my sheets smelling of human.”

Gulping quietly, you realised where you were.

“This is your room?” You inspected it with a new appreciation. It was warmer than you had expected. If you had even considered that he had a bedroom, which you hadn’t. He never seemed to sleep, always awake when you were.

He shrugged. “It fulfils its purpose. And it’ll do for you.”

If the TARDIS had multiple bedrooms, you wondered why he hadn’t taken you to one of them. You sensed, however, that wasn’t a question he would answer. So you asked an indirect one.

“Won’t you mind? This is _your_ room.”

“What I would mind, is you stumbling around half-awake tomorrow, ruining all of my carefully thought out plans because you refused to go to sleep. Now,” he clapped his hands together, startling you, “get to it.”

“What?”

He waved a hand at you. “Go to sleep. The TARDIS will keep the lights on. Scream if you need anything.”

You watched him start to leave, preparing yourself for his absence, but as he reached the doorway your stomach wrenched and you knew you wouldn’t be able to stand it. Sitting upright, you called out to him. “Wait.”

His head fell incrementally before he was facing you again. “If you think I’m going to get you a glass of warm milk, I’m afraid you’ve have mistaken me for your mother.”

“No, I just,” you blushed, immediately piquing his interest, “would you mind staying with me for a little while? Just until I fall asleep.”

He looked ready to decline. You waited for the sting of rejection but, to your surprise, he walked over and took a seat on the bed. There was a mountain of space between you, which part of you wished to close, but he was there and that was enough. As soon as he had settled against the cushions, you felt your eyes droop and shuffled back on the bed.

Unexpectedly, he stopped you with a hand. Looking at him, he motioned for you to move your legs and, once you had, he tugged the sheets free so you could get beneath them.

Only when the fabric covered your chilled legs did you remember you were still wearing his jacket. Quickly shucking it off, you handed it over.

“Thank you for this.”

“Don’t mention it.” He sniffed, taking it back and folding it over his knees. You didn’t correct his assumption that you were talking about his loaned coat.

Settling in, you couldn’t resist teasing him. “What, no night time story?”

“Don’t push it.” The Master threatened, shooting you a dark look.

Chuckling, you promised you wouldn’t.

“Good night.” You said. Rolling onto your side to get comfortable, you chose to face him so he couldn’t sneak off while you were still awake.

“Sweet dreams.” He joked.

“I hope so.” You groaned, thinking of the one which had startled you awake. Maybe there was a downside to having the Master beside you. What if you had one of your reoccurring dreams again and called out for him? He would never let you live it down.

“I meant to ask before. What woke you in the first place?” He asked curiously, turning onto his side so he could look at you.

“I was having a nightmare.” You admitted.

“A nightmare?” He repeated as if he had never heard of such a thing. “What about?”

Scrunching your nose up at the thought of revealing those details – the knowledge that you dreamt of him – your first thought was to lie, but you knew he’d catch you on it. You tried evasion instead.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Embarrassing?” He grinned.

“Personal.” You countered, hoping that would be enough to make him drop the matter.

It wasn’t.

“You’re going to deny me?” He said, his tone still light-hearted but with an added edge, assuring you he wouldn’t let the matter go. “After I saved you from your frightening ordeal? After I let you sleep in _my_ bed. And offered to keep you company?”

“You didn’t exactly offer.” You muttered into the sheets.

Tutting at you, he levelled you with an expression of disappointment. “And here I thought you were a good pet.”

Biting down on the urge to exclaim you were, you tried to ignore him and close your eyes. You could feel his gaze on you however and, with a groan, surrendered.

“Fine. I have this reoccurring dream that we’re running through corridors, trying to get back to the TARDIS, and I’m too slow and you leave me behind. But in this dream it all changed, and this creature attacked us and killed you. That’s when I woke up and found that _guy_ standing there.”

“You dream that I leave you?”

You didn’t hear him.

“I don’t know why it was different tonight. It’s never gone that way before.”

The Master continued to mutter to himself, turning your words over in his mind. “Reoccurring? You often dream that I leave you?”

“It suddenly felt so real. I was aware I was dreaming up until the point the dream changed. Then it felt like it was actually happening.” You frowned. “It was horrible. It felt so real. When it attacked you I was certain you were dead. I tried to reach you, but I just woke up instead. You don’t think that guy had anything to do with…”

“You have a reoccurring dream that I leave you?”

That time you heard him and immediately stopped speaking. You had hoped he wouldn’t focus on that part.

“Err, yeah?” He said nothing else, so you continued with your question and hoped that was the end of it. “So, do you think he had anything to do with my dream changing?”

“Maybe.”

“Does that mean he was in my head?”

“Perhaps.”

“Can you tell?” You said, trying to pry an answer from him which was longer than two syllables.

“I performed a scan on you before, I could see no evidence of that.”

“You scanned me?”

“Yes.” He replied.

“Without asking first?”

“Yes.”

You didn’t know what else to say, too tired to argue about medical consent, so instead you lapsed into silence. You would have slept yet still the Master stared at you, dispelling any possibilities of falling asleep. When you could no longer stand it, you rolled onto your other side and forced your eyes shut.

“Good night.” You repeated.

Instantly closing the space between you, the Master joined you on your side of the bed. Tugging your shoulder down, he loomed over you.

“I wouldn’t leave you. Not on purpose anyway,” he amended, grabbing hold of your chin and forcing you to meet his gaze when you tried to look away, “and as soon as I noticed you were gone, I’d look for you.”

Pausing for a moment, wondering if that should be interpreted as reassurance or worry, you decided that – for him – that was the closest you would get to a promise of a future together.

Smiling up at him, you fought the temptation to throw your arms around his neck and pull him into a hug.

Moving some hair away from your face, he returned your grin.

“Now. Go to sleep.”

“Okay. You’ll stay?”

“Yes.” He promised. Settling onto his back, your sides pressed together, you found it easy to drop off with his comforting presence beside you.

The Master kept a close watch over you, waiting until you dropped into a deep sleep. When he was confident it wouldn’t wake you, he slipped out of bed. Hopefully, you’d be asleep long enough for him to take care of your night time visitor and be back before you even noticed his absence. 

**Author's Note:**

> This ended up longer than expected. I still slipped into third person on occasion but, given this is only my second attempt at second person, I think it went okay. Please let me know what you think. I hope you enjoyed it. I've made these into a series now. I have 24 more possibilities for alliterative additions. I'm not saying I'll actually write that many - I've got my second novel to focus on - but we'll see how things go!
> 
> Have a good weekend everyone <3


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